


Nights Out in Babylon

by Smithybadger



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Legends - All Media Types
Genre: Domestic, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-27
Updated: 2015-12-27
Packaged: 2018-05-09 17:11:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,608
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5548625
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Smithybadger/pseuds/Smithybadger
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Honestly, I’m beginning to think that organizing a rebellion was easier. At least then we knew we had to beat Vader and the Emperor. Now we just have to make sure everyone actually gets along.”</p><p>“Well, hey, if you ever feel like flying off, you know where to find me.” Han joked.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Nights Out in Babylon

**Author's Note:**

> I just really wanna write about happy Han and Leia in the Legends universe. I reread Jedi Search a while ago, so this is a fic set around that era? It's also my first time writing a full thing in a long time, so I hope it turned out ok!
> 
> (tumblr: http://aarnethompson.tumblr.com/post/136042818023/nights-out-in-babylon-a-hanleia-fic )

"You look like something Jacen found under the couch earlier," Leia remarked, looking up from the papers that surrounded her at her desk as Han walked in.  
  
"But you love me anyway."  
  
"I do.”  
  
"So what's all this then," he said, peering over her shoulder at the mass of papers.

 She pulled her hand through her loose hair sighing, “It's the banquet preparations. They just keep getting more complicated. All of these ambassadors keep coming, and they all seem to despise each other and no one wants to sit next to anyone. Honestly, I’m beginning to think that organizing a rebellion was easier. At least then we knew we had to beat Vader and the Emperor. Now we just have to make sure everyone actually gets along.”

 “Well, hey, if you ever feel like flying off, you know where to find me.” Han joked as he kneeled down by Leia’s desk.

 “And so what’s all this then?” she asked, pointing at the small bruises on his jaw.

 “Aw this, this was nothing,” he said, scratching the back on his neck.

 It in fact was not _nothing._

 

 ("Look, I -" Han fumbled for something to say, as he stepped slowly backwards," I understand your grievances over the New Republic, and maybe we could have resolved our differences but -" Bingo. He had pulled a few choice phrases from Leia's toolbox of diplomacy, something he'd increasingly begun to appreciate, "but when you personally insult my wife, well that's a whole other matter."

 Before the other man began to speak, Han lunged forwards and punch him, one last time. Arguments over politics weren’t something he used to get into, but with Leia - well. He was surprised he didn’t get into them more often.)

 

 Leia gave him that look. The _I-know-you’re-lying-but-I’m-too-tired-to-ask_ look. That was around when Jacen and Jaina began to cry.

 “Oh no,” sighed Leia, pinching her nose between her thumb and forefinger. “Threepio _just_ got them to sleep. How am I gonna get any of this done now? I love those kids but, well. They’re our kids.”

 “Maybe they’ll start a rebellion, just like their mom,” Han suggested. “Hey, I can go check on them. You can just finish this, princess. And y’know, if you ever need any help with any of that,” He gestured to the papers, “I could help. I’m me, and I know my way around a difficult arrangement or two.”

 

(Jacen and Jaina turned out to be a false start. All they wanted was something to drink, and a story, something that Han could at least provide. If they had asked for him to be their living jungle gym, he would have drawn the line. Sure Chewie or Threepio could be amenable to that, but not him. He was bruised enough as it was already.)

 

“So what do you think,” he asked later.

“Hm?” Leia turned to look at him as they lay in bed, him in his pajamas that Luke had got him as a joke (they were covered with the logo for a popular Corellain cartoon character - a riff off of a present Leia had gotten Han a few years ago), and Leia in her overly large shirt that also featured the emblem of the aforementioned character. Han thought that If the new senate knew what their Minister of State wore to bed, they probably would have disapproved.

“The whole I-help-you-with-diplomatic-messes thing. I could do it. I need to spend more time with you anyway.”

“And I could also tell the entire senate exactly what I think of them, but I wouldn’t, because that would be a bad idea.”

“I could do it!” he insisted in return.

Leia laughed at him and turned off the light, thinking the whole thing was just an idle thought without fruition.

 

But once the idea had rooted in Han, he wouldn’t let it go. He was so goddamn persistent, thought Leia. It was sweet in a way, how much he actually wanted to help, but that didn’t mean it was good for her stress in the day. On top of managing ambassadors for planets who behaved in a manner uncannily similar to her children, Leia had to new deal with regular hourly messages for Han, asking how he could help.

At first she just sent him for simple things. Like providing the ambassador of Canastra IV a tour of the many aquariums on Coruscant, something that only slightly backfired when Han suggested he and the ambassador go get seafood afterwards. (“Well how was I to know that most sea life is revered on their planet? They don’t really teach that in smuggler school.”) And if he sometimes brought her food at work? Well that was nice. The droids could cook, but that didn’t always mean they could cook well.

And then it moved onto bigger tasks. Like arranging the catering for the next ‘party’ with the visiting Chandrilan ambassador (a relatively simple task, as the New Republic was on exceedingly good terms with the Chandrilan government.)

 

“Do you have the number for the dinner?” Han asked, pouring over a stack of notes that was increasingly reminiscent of Leia’s.

He had to admit, this was about the same as planning a good con. You had to know everyone and the lay of the land, and all the whirling bits before you could do it. Any mistakes and bam! it went into smithereens in your face. That didn’t make it enjoyable though. Respectability was something he did not enjoy. Still, if it helped Leia? He’d keep doing it.

“Which dinner?” asked Leia, looking up from a holoscreen, where she rapidly sorted items and people.

“The uh-” he waved in an arbitrary direction, “the one which is supposed to have genuine Coruscant food?” (Whatever that meant. In Han’s opinion, genuine Coruscant food was just a modge-podge of the galaxies tastes.”)

“That one tastes like Bantha breath, and you and I know it.”

“Sure, but if we pass it off as excellent, the ambassadors will _think_ it's excellent. Then we can get our secret revenge on them for being so complicated all the time.”

“Hey, you’re the one who signed up for this,” replied Leia, tapping him on the nose with a smirk.

“And I’m regretting it a little more every day. How do you do it?”

“Well for one, I was trained in,”she rolled her eyes,” princess school. Not smuggler school.”

“Well, you’re doing a great job. Even better than I thought before,” he said.

 

Days passed and the banquet approached. Han made frantic calls about ensuring there was enough food, despaired when a new person was added to the guest list, and generally had a hellhole of a time. Leia caught him a few times pulling his hand through his hair and juggling papers and jugging either Jacen or Jaina all at the same time. She could barely resist taking a photo. It was just so - ordinary. Not ordinary like the average family in the galaxy, or ordinary in that it was calm or simple, but they were stable. Something that never seemed to happen and she thanked whoever was up there for these moments.

When these moments happened, she didn’t want to break the charm. But she did anyway, walking up to Han, kissing him on the cheek and picking up whichever child he had placated at that point (They had to just try and keep one calm and deal with the other. Having one rambunctious Force using toddler meander around the house was better than having two of them).

 

And then the banquet was finally there. It was one small night, one banquet in the constellations of banquets that happened in the never ending city - and it was a disaster.

“I thought you knew all of the allergies of all - of everyone!” yelled Leia as a nearby Chandrilan visitor began to sneeze over everyone. Large waves of who-knows-what covered the crowd, and they in return squealed and ran away from the source.

“Yeah well! Well-” Han tried to think of a retort. Nope, nothing.”Well so did I!”

“This is such a mess,” Leia sighed. Still at least it seemed like the guest only had to sneeze once. The guest wiped his face sheepishly, and began to go through the crowd, apologizing to everyone.

“Eh, what’s a bit of politics without a mess.” 

“That’s easy for you to say. Now I have to go apologize to _everyone_ for ruining their night, even if I didn’t do it.”

Han fidgeted a little. “Look, you know why I decided to help out? Because I wanted to spend more time with you. And you don’t need to apologize. They’ve already asked enough of you. You could just,” he looked meaningfully towards the outside windows, “leave.”

Leia could almost laugh.

“You miss the rebellion days, don’t you?” she asked.

“I don’t miss almost dying every other day for one of your schemes. Look, the guests are sorting themselves out.” He gestured at the guest who was the source of Leia’s present worry, who was still apologizing.

“I miss freedom too you know,” she said putting her hand on his shoulder. “But I can’t just leave.”

“You can just apologize tomorrow, and say you had some business to attend to.”

She looked behind her, uncertain. And then her gaze returned to him, and it was resolute, with a secret glimmer of mischief in her eye, that remained from her days as an almost unrestrained teenager.

“Fine. Let’s go take a joyride, you rebel scum.”

The two sneaked out of the banquet, hand in hand, into the dark night, far away from the bustling crowds.


End file.
